Casey's Next Step
by cowgirlangel95
Summary: "Post" finale: Casey is ready to move on with his life. But after he runs out of the court yard, his plans take an unexpected turn. Rated T because I'm paranoid
1. The Decision

_**A/N: Hey all! So this is my first, finished, Chuck only fanfic. I never liked the pairing of Casey and Verbanski, so I decided to write this! Hope you enjoy it! And please leave a comment so I know if you guys like it, cause there may be more stories stemming off of this one depending on my college work schedule :)**_

_**I do not own Chuck, otherwise it would still be on**_

* * *

John Casey looked around the court yard one final time. This place had become his home for the past five years. So many memories came back about this place, good memories that he hadn't thought about in a while. Originally, the Intersect assignment was to last only a few months. He truly felt that this was his home, and that he was leaving so many friends – no, family members—behind. Despite these feelings, it was time for him to move on in his life. _The last time I felt like this was…No, don't think about it. That was then, this is now. You're someone else now. Those memories need to stay buried._

After a few more moments, Casey turned and ran out of the court yard towards his Crown Vic; ready to move on to the next step in his life. There was nothing holding him there anymore, no reason for him to stay. As long as he came back every once in a while to see Alex, Chuck, and Sarah, that was fine with him. Or so he thought.

Casey looked up towards his car and stopped in his tracks. His bag fell from his hand as a soft, pain filled groan escaped his lips. He wasn't expecting to see someone blocking his path to his car, let alone _her_. Everything that he tried to block out of his mind a few minutes earlier came flooding back. The reason why he felt like he had a home all those years ago was standing right in front of him.

"How did you know?" he asked her.

Kathleen stepped up to him. "Alex told me. A couple weeks ago, she told me that you wanted her to meet someone special at some point. But, she got the feeling that you weren't truly happy with her. So, she was hoping that I might be able to do something before you left."

Casey's heart ached. It was true. He thought Gertrude would be the one to help him get rid of the pain of losing Kathleen all those years ago, but she paled in comparison to Kathleen. And he didn't realize it until now.

John," Kathleen paused. "Alex…" when Casey heard his real name it made his heart ache even more. "Just talk to me."

Casey shook his head. "Kathleen, ever since I had to leave you so I could establish my new cover, I had to try to push you out of my mind," Casey stepped closer to Kathleen. "Ya know something? Nothing worked. I tried several different missions, getting myself so absorbed in my work, trying to get myself involved with other women. No matter what I tried, my mind always came back to you," Casey took another breath. "And knowing I couldn't be with you…hurt me even more."

Kathleen nodded as she listened to Casey's explanation. She looked into his eyes— he was telling her was the truth, but he was still hiding something as well. "What about after I found you? Why not come back to me instead of going off with someone else?"

Casey shifted his weight on his feet. He'd never been in a situation like this before, and he felt something in the pit of his stomach that he hadn't felt in a long time. Nerves. "I should've trusted my instinct on Russians," he grumbled. "At that time, I was still with the NSA. It's for the same reason why I had to leave you in the first place. I had to eliminate ties from my previous life to establish my cover. Verbanski…she was, unfortunately, part of that cover," He looked at Kathleen. Casey could tell that she was upset over what he told her. "A part I wish I could rid of in my life. You're all I've ever cared about, Kathleen. And I want to do something about it."

Casey brought Kathleen closer to him. He brought his hand closer to her face, and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. Casey leaned in towards Kathleen and kissed her. He had forgotten how soft her lips felt up against his. The longer they kissed, the more he realized that it was a mistake to leave.

Kathleen finally broke the kiss and gasped for air. She looked into Casey's eyes and smiled. "It's been a while since we did that, huh?"

"Indeed," he agreed. He wished that he could correct everything that happened in those years that they had lost. But it was impossible. There was no way to turn back the clock so he could be there for Alex during her childhood; there was no way to reverse leaving her.

Or was there…

Casey's mind flashed back to when Chuck had returned from his mission from France. Chuck was on the verge of tears because he was going to propose to Sarah, but the CIA ruined it, saying Sarah had committed treason, and brought her back to Castle in chains. He remembered what he said to Chuck, "…all you need is the girl."

_All you need is the girl_.

There was a way to correct one of his mistakes. Casey took ahold of Kathleen's hands, and looked deep into her eyes. "Kathleen, I'm sorry for everything that my work has put you through. I can't correct most of it, but I can do this." He got down on his knee and asked, "Will you marry me?"

Kathleen's mouth fell agape. When she planned on seeing Casey, she was not expecting this.

At first, she wasn't sure what she should say. But there was no question about it. After all of these years, he was still the man she loved; the only man her heart belonged to.

Tears filled her eyes as she answered, "Yes."

Casey stood and wiped the tears from her eyes. The last time he felt like this was when he asked her to marry him the first time. But this time, they were going to be together for sure.

"I guess we should go tell Alex."

Kathleen nodded. Casey offered Kathleen his arm as they headed towards the apartment, to which she gladly accepted. He opened the door, and they found Alex sitting in the living room. Their daughter slowly stood up and looked at them, with her eyes moving back and forth between Casey and Kathleen. All Casey could do was smile and nod. Alex ran to them and engulfed them in a hug.

For the next few moments, Casey was oblivious to any conversation that was taking place. He finally realized that this was where he belonged. Not just Burbank, but with the love of his life, his daughter, and his friends…forever.


	2. Engagement Party

_**A/N: Yes, this has now been turned into a series of one shots! There's a bit of a time difference between this one shot and the last one, but I really couldn't see it any other way seeing this is from Casey's point of view. My other collection of one shots that I have started, Chuck vs Their Future, is in the same universe as this one. So, I will be writing some one shots that will fill the three month time gap in Chuck vs Their Future. I apologize if the characters seem a bit OOC in this; I'm attempting to continue Casey's feelings for Kathleen showed to us in Chuck vs the Tic Tac**_

_**Disclaimer: I (sadly) don't own Chuck.**_

* * *

_3 Months Later:_

Casey looked at his reflection as he fiddled with his tie. His upper lip curled as he let out an annoyed groan of frustration. No matter what he did, nothing seemed to make his tie lay flat. Instead of wasting more time trying to make it do something it clearly wouldn't, Casey ripped the tie from his neck and flung it to the floor. He straightened his collar and let out a satisfied grunt. Casey always preferred a more casual look, even if he was getting ready for his engagement party.

He looked out his bedroom window and watched Alex and Morgan putting the final touches on the court yard. The party wasn't going to be large at all, neither was the wedding which would be a few months from now. This was the way Casey preferred it to be. Kathleen didn't have much family, and Casey only had a few close friends. Casey's eyes shifted to Morgan, who was carrying something over towards a table. He tripped over an empty box, sending the contents in his hands flying in every direction. Casey pinched the bridge of his nose with his fore finger and thumb. _What am I going to do when those two finally get married?_

There was a soft knock at his door. Casey turned around and smiled when he saw Kathleen. She was wearing an off white dress that flowed down to her knees. Silver gems surrounded the v neckline of her dress, and she wore a matching necklace. When Casey examined it closer, her realized that it was a necklace that he had given to her right before he shipped out.

She walked in and ran her hands slowly down Casey's chest. "Decided to go casual?"

Casey shrugged. "Yeah, well."

Kathleen leaned in and kissed Casey softly on the lips. "We better head outside to make sure Morgan doesn't make anything else worse before the party starts."

* * *

Music softly played in the background as all of Casey's and Kathleen's guests mingled about the court yard. Casey had to admit, despite his clumsiness, Morgan did a real good job with the set up. The lighting was perfect, and the rest of the decorations weren't overdone. Everything was simple, just like Casey in a way.

Earlier on in the party, Casey met Kathleen's parents for the first time in over twenty years. Needless to say, he was on edge. Her parents didn't like the fact that Casey ended up abandoning their daughter all those years ago, even if it was part of a government organization. He couldn't help but agree. If Casey had a chance to go back in time to change his decision and stay with Kathleen, he would in a heartbeat. What they respected about him was that Casey decided to do the right thing and come back to her.

After grabbing a champagne flute off of a waiter's tray, Casey walked over towards his former team. He was glad that Sarah was remembering some more details of her life. It wasn't much, but that didn't stop her and the nerd from getting closer than before.

Chuck and Sarah looked up from their conversation and greeted him.

"So much for love is for suckers. Tell me, Casey…have you gone soft on us?" Chuck teased.

Casey let out a halfhearted grunt. "Hardly, Bartowski."

"Come on John," Sarah continued. "You're not the same hard head I started working with five years ago."

Casey shrugged as he took a sip of the champagne. He grimaced as it made its way down his throat, wishing he had scotch in hand instead of this crap. "That's the nerd's fault. Being stuck in Burbank so long made me actually care what happened to you two. But don't worry, Walker. I can still be that hard head to those that deserve it," he replied thinking of a few people in particular.

He came out of his daze and focused back on the Bartowskis. "Any thoughts on what the future may bring to you two?"

Chuck and Sarah looked at each other, and then back at Casey. "We've been thinking about the future of Carmichael Industries. Several ideas have been passed around and we're thinking about turning into a cyber-security firm," Chuck replied.

"But that's not our main focus right now," Sarah added, looking up at Chuck as a smile spread across her lips.

Casey gave a slight nod and saw Kathleen out of the corner of his eye. She slid her hand around Casey's arm and stated, "I'm sorry to pull you away like this, but it's time."

All four of them moved by the fountain in the center of the court yard, and Chuck clinked his glass with one of the butter knives that was placed on the table. Soon all eyes were on him. "If I could have your attention please…which clearly looks like I do," Chuck started, getting some laughter from the crowd. "Usually something like this is saved for the wedding reception, but I wanted to say something tonight. If someone told me five years ago that John Casey would be getting ready to marry the woman of his dreams, I would have asked if they meant the Casey I knew. When I first met him, he was a lot of how he is today, terrifying and strong. However there's one difference. Back then, I never thought anyone would have been able to break through his cold exterior. When he told me and Sarah about Kathleen for the first time, I could tell she was special to him, and that he held her in his heart for a long time. So when my buddy Morgan came running over to tell us that they were engaged, it didn't really surprise me at all." Chuck raised his glass above his head. "To John and Kathleen."

The guests raised their glasses for the toast and repeated, "To John and Kathleen!"

_**A/N #2: Like? Dislike? Let me know in the comment section below (pretty please O:) ) As of now, I only see two more (maybe three) one shots being added to this collection, and it may be a while between updates. Until next time!**_


	3. The Wedding

_**A/N: Here it is! The wedding! I hope you enjoy it, the only wedding I've ever been to was my sister's, and I was a part of the wedding party. I used my sister's wedding video as a guide; that was a Catholic wedding, and I figured Casey is at least a Christian ("My priorities never changed: God, duty, country, core." ~Chuck vs the Cubic Z). **_

_**Disclaimer: Don't own anything**_

Casey looked at the small crowd that had gathered inside the small church. John Casey wasn't the man who would dream about what kind of wedding he would have, but this was perfect. Some of Kathleen's family and Casey's friends, which was all that was needed. Since Casey didn't have that many friends that were still living, he had asked Chuck to be the honor of being his best man. Somehow, Casey didn't know how, Chuck was able to keep his excitement mostly hidden. _Maybe I've rubbed off on him a bit after all these years…_

Soon after Casey came out of his sea of thoughts, the pianist began to play a calming tune. The wedding was beginning.

The first couple to walk down the aisle was Kathleen's mother and her escort, a close friend of the family. After them came Morgan and Alex. Alex looked beautiful in her forest green chiffon dress. Morgan...Morgan was lucky to be in the wedding party. Yes, he allowed him to date Alex, but Morgan wasn't on his good side completely. He had to be, otherwise Casey wouldn't be able to break Morgan if he breaks Alex's heart again.

Next was Kathleen's maid of honor, Miranda. Miranda was Kathleen's best friend from high school. Casey recalled meeting the bubbly woman quite a number of years ago. Once almost to the altar, Chuck walked out and accompanied Miranda down the rest of the aisle. Casey glimpsed over to where Sarah was seated. She was smiling greatly, happy for Casey beginning a journey.

Now that Miranda had arrived alongside Alex, the pianist changed the tune to a more grand style. Everyone rose to their feet as Kathleen and her father walked down the aisle towards Casey. Once his eyes laid on Kathleen, Casey felt his heart begin to swell. Kathleen looked so beautiful. Most of her hair fell softly around her shoulders, and some was pulled back and clipped up by the veil. Her dress was simple but beautiful, just like Kathleen. The neckline scooped down slightly, and small specks of silver were scattered about the rest of the dress. The skirt flowed slightly with each step she took. It fit her perfectly.

Mr. McHugh and his daughter reached the end of the aisle. He kissed Kathleen's cheek, and placed her hand in Casey's. Casey and Kathleen turned and faced the older priest.

The elderly priest smiled at the couple then announced, "Dearly beloved, we come together today on this very joyful occasion to witness the exchange of vows, to witness the exchange of love between Kathleen and Johnathan and to witness their entrance into a covenant relationship between one another and with Jesus Christ Himself."

"My dear friends, you have come together in this Church, so that the Lord may seal and strengthen your love. Now, in the presence of the Church, I ask you to state your intentions. Johnathan and Kathleen, have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?"

Both Casey and Kathleen nodded and replied, "Yes."

"Will you love and honor each other as man and wife for the rest of your lives?"

Once again, the couple said, "Yes."

Gesturing towards them, the priest continued. "Since it is your intent to enter into marriage, please join right hands and declare you consent before God and His church."

Casey turned towards Kathleen. "I Johnathan, take you, Kathleen to be my wife. I promise to be true to you, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life."

Once Casey finished, Kathleen began, "I Kathleen, take you, Johnathan to be my husband. I promise to be true to you, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life."

"You have declared your consent before the Church. What God has combined, men must not divide."

The priest then turned to Chuck. The best man pulled the rings out of his pocket, and he handed them over to the elderly man. The priest took them, blessed them, and handed them to Casey and Kathleen.

Casey slid the ring upon her finger and said, "Kathleen, take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

With tears brimming her eyes, Kathleen stated, "Johnathan, take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," and placed the ring on Casey's finger. Both of them looked into each other's eyes and smiled.

A wide grin came across the priest's face. "Congratulations. By the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Casey brought Kathleen in close for the kiss. It was a light kiss, a refreshing kiss.

"Ladies and gentlemen may I introduce to you for the first time Mr. and Mrs. Johnathan Casey!" The audience erupted into applause, and the pianist started to play another grand tune. The wedding party walked towards the back of the church, with Mr. and Mrs. Johnathan Casey leading the way, hand in hand.

_**A/N #2: I hope this wasn't too short for you, I couldn't think of anything else to add. There will be one more one shot in this series, most likely the reception from Casey's POV. Until next time!**_


	4. The Reception

_**A/N: I feel about two inches tall. I meant to have this up a few days ago but I got distracted and there went my focus. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the reception! Short, sweet, and I hope a good conclusion to this series.**_

* * *

Casey and Kathleen watched as the rest of their wedding party was announced by the DJ. Each couple walked down the center of the reception hall they had rented, then took their respected places at the head table next to their spouses or significant other.

"Now if everyone would please rise and welcome them as the first time as husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. John Casey!"

Kathleen looked up at Casey. "You ready?"

Casey smiled at her. "Always."

The happy couple walked down the center of the hall as everyone stood and applauded. Once they reached the dance floor, the applause died down and a calming tune began to play. Casey brought Kathleen in close, as they began to dance their first dance as husband and wife to Frank Sinatra's 'The Way You Look Tonight.'

They slowly glided across the dance floor. When they went by the head table, Morgan picked up his fork to tap his glass with (wanting them to kiss), but Casey gave him a long glare, making him put the utensil back on the table. As they danced, Casey and Kathleen whispered to each other.

"I can't believe we're finally married, after all these years of thinking I had lost you for good."

Casey chuckled lightly. "I can. I just wish we had done this sooner."

"No time like the present."

The song ended soon after, and Casey escorted Kathleen over to her father for their dance. John sat down at his place at the head table, and watched them dance across the floor. Casey wasn't one to be sentimental, but part of him wished his mother was still around for this day, that way she could tease and pester him about finally finding the one. And to dance with her one more time.

Their dance ended, and Mr. McHugh gave his daughter's hand back to Casey. Once Kathleen was seated, her maid of honor, Miranda, stood up and gave her speech. She reminisced about the 'good old days' with Kathleen in high school, and when she first met Casey. "If there was anyone for this gruff tough man, I knew it was Kathleen."

That comment sent laughter throughout the hall. She continued on about how when she saw Casey again a few months ago, she made sure to find out if his intents were genuine, which they were. After hearing that, she had no more worries.

"To John and Kathleen!" she announced.

"To John and Kathleen!" the crowd echoed as they took a sip from their glasses.

Now it was Chuck's turn. He took the microphone from Miranda and cleared his throat. "When I first met John about five years ago, I was terrified beyond belief. I honestly didn't want to be around this man, he scared me that much. But at that point, I think that was his goal. When I found out he had a softer side, I had to do a double take. I honestly had no clue that there was that side to him. But when I met Kathleen, I understood why. They both fit each other perfectly, and I'm glad you both came back together. Once again, to John and Kathleen!"

Chuck's speech left almost everyone in stitches as they raised their glasses to toast the newlyweds. The DJ started the music once again and more dancing commenced.

Soon afterwards, people slowly started to leave and the reception ended. Chuck and Sarah stayed behind to put the gifts Casey and Kathleen in the back of the Crown Vic, while Morgan and Alex cleaned up inside. There were hugs and handshakes between all of them before they headed off on their honeymoon in Can Coon.

Alex was the last to wish them well on their trip. She approached both of her parents with tears in her eyes. Alex hugged her mother and wished her well, then she turned and faced Casey. He opened his arms for her and she gladly accepted the hug.

"I'm so happy for you two," Alex said.

Casey kissed the top of his daughter's head and rested his chin on her skull. "Thanks. Now, we're a family again."

The father and daughter pair came out of their hug and looked each other in the eyes. "We'll be back soon."

Alex nodded and smiled. "Have fun!"

The two parents waved to their daughter and climbed into the Crown Vic. Once inside, Kathleen turned to Casey. "You ready for the next step in our lives?"

He nodded. "More than ever," he replied as he put the car into gear and sped off to the airport.

Casey and Kathleen didn't have many plans for after they returned, just to enjoy the rest of their lives together. However, Casey did have one thing definitely planned. He was going to formally adopt Alex.

Al Fin

_**A/N #2: I know in Chuck vs the Santa Claus Casey called his mom, but when the show revealed his name as Alex Coburns it made me wonder who he really called. I hope you enjoyed this series; it was great fun to write! Adios!**_


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